The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-14
A CossACK KNIGHT ERRANT.
ON Aschimof a True Soldier of
Fortune.
From the Neag York Times.

preparations Tor winter campaign IN Mas
sowah comes the news of the departure
from Moscow for Abyssinia on Wednesday
last of ON Aschimoff, with large military
and clerical following. The Russians gladly
avail themselves of the opportunity of en-
barrassing Italy by giving the NeguS I'M
official aid in the shape of leaders and even
men, while at the same time they are de-
lighted to be able 10 add indirectly 10 the
difficulties of England with regard to Egypt.
ON Aschimof, Hetman of some 10000
semi-independent Cossacks, is one Of the
most curious figures of contemporaneous
Russian history Resembling in many re-
spects the 'Raubrittern and knights-crran
OF olden times, he appears out of place and
in the light of an anachronism in the pro
saical and matter-offact life of the nine
teenth century.
His first appearance one the scene was
some eight or nine years ego, when he ar
rived i'll this city at the head Of numerous
deputaJion of wild and semi-barbarous-
| looking individuals, who blindly obeyed
his every behest. They had come, he de-
clared, to petition the Car for permission
to settle in the Caucasus on the deserted
lands of those of the Icherkess tribes which
had emigrated TO Asia Minor. In answer
TO the inquiries of the government, he as
serted that he was the Hetman, or chief, of a
tribe of independent Co>sacks, established
in Persia, but protesting the orthodox Greek
religion and regarding the Gar as their
supreme chief Their principal occupation,
according to his account, was that of escort
ing the caravans proceeding from Trebi-
zonde and Batoum 10 Persia, and to protect
them against the Kurdish brgands After
some hesitation he admitted that his tribe
was composed not only of refugees from the
Caucasus but also of vagabonds, convicts
and evildoers of every kind and of every
nationality. But as a set-otf against this,
he claimed that most severe and iron dis
cipline was maintained amcng the tribe;
that they elected their own officers and
chiefs; that they considered it their bounden
duty to fight, massacre and even pillage all
infidels and their belongings; that they pun
ished theft severely, and that they were de-
voted to the Gar. In fact, judging by ON
Aschimoff's own account, his people spent
their whole existence on horseback, and
gained their livelihood at the point Of the
sword
The Russian government, after having
verified all these statements, which at first
they were inclined to disbelieve, at length
gave a reluctant and qualified consent to
the Hetman's petition. 1t was decided that
an experiment should be made and that 400
of Aschimoff's Cossacks should be allowed
to settle for a time i'll the Caucasus on trial.
1t is hardly necessary TO add that before
they had been there three months the whole
surrounding country was IN an uproar.
They waged a constant warfare against the
respectable inhabitants, INDUCED In rapine
and pillage and when the local authorities
attempted to visit their camp in order to in
stitute inquiries into their conduct, they re
ceived them with volleys of musketry
which forced the gentlemen in uniform to
beat hasty retreat While protesting the
most blind devotion for the Gar they made
no effort to conceal their unmitigated con-
tempt for all government officials. and in
fact for every representative of authority
whom they had not themselves elected At
length the Governor General of the eau
casus, Prince Dondurof- korsakoff, was
obliged to force them to recross the frontier
and to return to their former homes in
Persia.
Aschimoff, on hearing of the measures
adopted against his followers, lost no time
| in coming to this city, and used every effort
10 induce the Gar to revoke the Governor
| Generals edict Finding that deaf ear
was turned to all his entTeaties, he left the
| capital in disgust, and accompanied by his
| two favorlte LleutenantS, Sastrebb aud
| Coli made his way to COnstantnOple.
| While there he was brought into contact
with members of the British embassy. After
| a good deal of negotiation he entered into
an agreement with the military attache of
| queen ' lcUOfld 5 mission, according 10 the
| terms of which he was to return to his peo-
| pie, organize his warriors, and make a raid
into Turkestan for the purpose of destroy
| ing the Central Asian railway, now III
course of construction by the Russian gov
eminent. 1t was agreed that he should be
| paid a stipulated amount for every mile Of
| permanent way destroyed, and he expert
enced but little difficulty in obtaining from
| the somewhat credulOus Britishers a large
/ cIIr of mo- IN ha "a of an al
Within lew days after receiving the
| gold he disappeared with his two compan-
| ions from Constantnople, but instead of re-
| turning TO his own tribe, as arranged with
| the British militay attache, lie turned his
! footsteps toward Egypt He was seen at
| Cairo, and then he disappeared COM
| pletely from view, nothing more being
cen months ago in Abyssinia, at the Court
of the Negus.
i According to his own account, after leav-
| ing Cairo he succeeded in reaching the
| Mahdi in the Soudan, and took part in sew
eral of the encounters with the British
! troops. Although we have only Aschmoff' S
own version on which to rely i'll the matter,
there are many grounds for believing
his assertion to be true. The British
officers, especially those of the late Sir Her
bert Stewards flying column, have repeat
| edly insisted that the rebel forces which
they encountered during the SoudaD cam
paign W re led and organized by white men,
and many of the English outposts assert
having been able to distinguish fair. haired
warriors among the eneiny's forces As
chimof claims to have boon present at the
fall of Khartoum, and relates that shortly
afterward he quilted the rebel army and
made his way to Abyssinia. When asked
as to how he could have reconciled himself
TO fight in the ranks of Mohammedans
against Christians he exclaimed: What
| Christians9 Why, Protestauts, Jesuits, and
Mohammedans are all one and the same
thing They are all infidels and enemies of
the Car"
There is much analogy between the form
| of Coptic ChristianiSln professed by the
Abyssiniaus and the Orthodox Greek rite
as practiced i'll Russia. Aschimon was,
therefore, exceedingly well received by
King John, and soon contracted the firmest
| kind of friendship with Ras-al-Loula, the
Abyssnian Commander-in-C Chief He
| greatly assisted the latter in organizing his
army and in arranging for the defensive
and offensive measures adopted against the
| Italian force at Massowah. The Cossacll
! chief makes no attempt to conceal the fact
! that something more than mere ties of
! friendship bind him to the interests aud
! fortunes of the Negus and of his General,
and admits that several thousand of
! his men have left their homes in Persia,
and arc now on their way TO Abyssinia.
! ,aI